Systems and methods for monitoring and characterizing fluids in a subterranean formation using hookload

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring and characterizing fluids in a subterranean formation are provided. In one embodiment, a method for monitoring fluids in a well bore penetrating a subterranean formation is provided, the method comprising: determining an actual buoyed hookload of an apparatus at least partially disposed in the well bore wherein a first set of fluids are present therein; comparing the actual buoyed hookload to a calculated buoyed hookload of the apparatus, wherein the calculated buoyed hookload is based in part on the unbuoyed hookload of the apparatus, and the properties of a second set of fluids that are assumed to be present in the well bore; and determining at least one property of the first set of fluids based in part on the comparison of the actual buoyed hookload to the calculated buoyed hookload.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fluid monitoring system comprising:
 a data acquisition and control interface; 
 a hookload measurement device communicatively coupled to the data acquisition and control interface that is configured to measure a hookload of an apparatus at least partially disposed in a well bore; and 
 one or more fluid measurement devices communicatively coupled to the data acquisition and control interface that are configured to detect volumes of one or more fluids pumped into or exiting the well bore;
 wherein the data acquisition and control interface receives data relating to an actual buoyed hookload of the apparatus from the hookload measurement equipment and data relating to one or more fluids pumped into or exiting the well bore from the one or more fluid measurement devices; 
 wherein the data acquisition and control interface uses the data received from the hookload measurement equipment and the one or more fluid measurement devices to determine one or more properties of one or more fluids present in the well bore. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  further comprising one or more fluid measurement devices communicatively coupled to the data acquisition and control interface that are configured to detect the density of one or more fluids pumped into or exiting the well bore. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  wherein the data acquisition and control interface is communicatively coupled to an external communications interface that permits data from the data acquisition and control interface to be remotely accessed by a remote information handling system communicatively coupled to the external communications interface. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1  wherein the data acquisition and control interface is further configured to receive data relating to the actual buoyed hookload and the one or more fluids pumped into or exiting the well bore and use the data to determine one or more properties of one or more fluids present in the well bore substantially in or near real time. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1  wherein the data acquisition and control interface is further configured to determine a volume of one or more fluids in the well bore. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1  wherein the data acquisition and control interface is further configured to determine a composition of one or more fluids in the well bore. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1  wherein
 the data acquisition and control interface receives data relating to at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: deviation of at least a portion of the well bore, the temperature in at least a portion of the well bore, the structure of the apparatus, and any combination thereof; and 
 the data acquisition and control interface uses the data relating to the at least one parameter to determine one or more properties of one or more fluids present in the well bore. 
 
     
     
       8. A method for monitoring fluids in a well bore penetrating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
 disposing, at least partially, an apparatus in the wellbore, wherein a first set of fluids is present within the wellbore; 
 determining, by a hookload measuring device, an actual buoyed hookload of the apparatus; 
 comparing, by a data acquisition device communicatively coupled to the hookload measuring device, the actual buoyed hookload to a calculated buoyed hookload of the apparatus, wherein the calculated buoyed hookload is based in part on
 an unbuoyed hookload of the apparatus, and 
 properties of a second set of fluids that are assumed to be present in the well bore; and 
 
 determining at least one property of the first set of fluids based in part on the comparison of the actual buoyed hookload to the calculated buoyed hookload. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  wherein the properties of the second set of fluids comprises one or more densities of the second set of fluids. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8  wherein the determining step comprises determining that the first set of fluids is substantially the same as the second set of fluids assumed to be present in the well bore. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8  wherein the determining step comprises determining a composition of one or more of the first set of fluids in the well bore. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8  wherein the calculated hookload of the apparatus is further based on at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: deviation of at least a portion of the well bore, the temperature in at least a portion of the well bore, the structure of the apparatus, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8  wherein the apparatus comprises a drillstring. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8  wherein the apparatus comprises a casing string. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 8  wherein the apparatus comprises one or more tool joints. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 8  wherein the second set of fluids assumed to be present in the well bore comprise fluids introduced into the well bore during a subterranean operation. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16  further comprising determining that a portion of the fluids introduced into the well bore have migrated into a portion of the subterranean formation. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 8  wherein the steps of determining the actual buoyed hookload of the apparatus, comparing the actual buoyed hookload to the calculated buoyed hookload of the apparatus, and determining at least one property of the first set of fluids are performed substantially in or near real time. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 8  further comprising accessing data regarding one or more of the actual buoyed hookload, the calculated buoyed hookload, and the properties of the first and second sets of fluids from a remote location. 
     
     
       20. A fluid monitoring system comprising:
 a data acquisition and control interface communicatively coupled to an external communications interface that permits data from the data acquisition and control interface to be remotely accessed by a remote information handling system communicatively coupled to the external communications interface; 
 a hookload measurement device communicatively coupled to the data acquisition and control interface that is configured to measure a hookload of an apparatus at least partially disposed in a well bore; and 
 one or more fluid measurement devices communicatively coupled to the data acquisition and control interface that are configured to detect volumes of one or more fluids pumped into or exiting the well bore;
 wherein the data acquisition and control interface receives data relating to an actual buoyed hookload of the apparatus from the hookload measurement equipment and data relating to one or more fluids pumped into or exiting the well bore from the one or more fluid measurement devices; 
 wherein the data acquisition and control interface uses the data received from the hookload measurement equipment and the one or more fluid measurement devices to determine one or more properties of one or more fluids present in the well bore substantially in real time.